This morning’s lockdown at an east-end Barrie school ended up being a false alarm, but until it was confirmed that there was indeed no threat, parents and students were left shaken, scared and unsure.
Barrie police were busy today with two calls to Eastview Secondary School, with the second one thought to be much worse as an active shooter was reportedly inside the Grove Street East facility. Police soon determined there was no shooter and the all-clear was given around 11 a.m.
Police received a call shortly after 7:30 a.m., Tuesday, about what city police communications co-ordinator Peter Leon called “unconfirmed information regarding a threat to the school.”
“As a result, we put the school into a hold-and-secure and had officers on scene at the school and out in the surrounding community continuing with the investigation,” Leon told BarrieToday.
At 10:43 a.m., as the first hold-and-secure was being lifted, police received another call about a more serious threat.
“We received an unrelated phone call with regards to an active threat that was taking place at Eastview. Barrie police responded with the appropriate and measured response, as did county paramedics,” Leon said. “We very quickly gained access to the school and located the source of the threat that had been made and were also able to confirm that there were in fact no victims and no real threat.”
At one point, there were 12 police vehicles and four ambulances outside the school.
The lockdown was lifted at 11:14 a.m. and students began leaving the school from multiple exits.
Grade 11 student Maddy Foerster told BarrieToday she started to hear rumours about a shooting and an active shooter inside the school and was wondering what was happening.
“Rumours happen, so I didn't know what to think, but then from my phone I saw on social media all the police cars and ambulances outside. I got really scared and was even crying,” said the 16-year-old. “I didn’t know what to think.”
Foerster said when the initial hold-and-secure happened, she didn't think much of it, but “the whole thing got real when the lockdown was out into effect and then it was scary.”
Her mom, Caroline Foerster, was one of many parents waiting outside the school for word on how their children were doing.
When kids started coming out the front doors, Caroline’s son Ethan ran to her and the two embraced for a couple minutes.
Caroline Foerster said there were moments where she didn’t know what was happening.
“When my daughter first texted me to tell me the school is on lockdown, I was visibly upset. I got in the car right away and, without thinking, just came down here to see what I could find out,” she said. “I knew I wasn’t leaving until I saw my kids.”
The mother said she was very concerned for how her son was handling it, because he's on the autism spectrum and she knew it would be difficult especially for him.
“I was getting texts from him as well saying he was quite upset. He was also concerned because some kids weren’t taking it seriously and being atypical, he follows rules to the letter, so when he sees others not, it really upsets him,” she said.
Leon said the two separate calls for Eastview were not related in any way and were simply "bizarrely coincidental.”
There was also a call for service at Bear Creek Secondary School in the city's south end took place this morning, but Leon said that was also unrelated and involved a "student in distress.”
Meanwhile, the second call to Eastview resulted in multiple officers entering the school with guns drawn. Leon said the officers' response was based on the severity of the call.
“Due to the seriousness of the call, we did have to provide a response that was measured and appropriate. That is a very large school and we needed to provide the right amount of officers and precautions,” he said.
Leon couldn't get into the specifics of who allegedly called in the threat, but did say they “do know who it is and we are dealing with that situation.”
Simcoe County District School Board spokesperson Sarah Kekewich confirmed to BarrieToday that the lockdown was lifted and police had determined there was no threat to student and staff safety.
“Students are currently at lunch and the school day will resume with an altered afternoon schedule,” Kekewich said.
Kekewich also said there was a widespread network issue this morning that impacted phone lines across the school board that was not related to the situation at Eastview.
She also confirmed that the emergency lines operate on a separate system and were functioning.
